Seanad debates

Wednesday, 17 June 2015

10:30 am

Photo of Trevor Ó ClochartaighTrevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim céad fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Táimse thar a bheith sásta an rún seo a fheiceáil os comhair an Tí anocht agus táim thar a bheith sásta go bhfuil mé in ann a rá go bhfuil Sinn Féin ag tacú go hiomlán leis. Dhá bhliain ó shin, tháinig Niamh Crowley agus cuid mhaith eile ón ngrúpa atá ag plé le múinteoirí staire anseo agus rinneadar cur i láthair don chomhchoiste oideachais. Dúirt siad gur cheart go mbeadh an phribléid ag chuile dhuine óg an stair a bheith acu mar ábhar agus iad ar scoil. Labhair sí faoin moladh a bhí déanta ag an gComhthionól Eorpach in 1996, uimhir 1283, ar an ról a bhaineann le foghlaim na staire san Eoraip, ina ndúradh go bhfuil sé fíor-thábhachtach go mbeadh eolas ag an duine óg ar an stair agus go mbeadh sé sin mar chuid lárnach den oideachas a fhaigheann siad.

Two years ago, Niamh Crowley and many others from the History Teachers Association of Ireland gave presentations to the education committee. Niamh Crowley spoke about what the association saw as the entitlement of every young person to an historical education and she referenced the 1996 European Assembly recommendation 1283 on the learning of history in Europe, which stated that historical awareness should be an essential part of the education of all young people. I too believe that historical awareness should be an essential part of the education of all of our young people.

If the commemoration period teaches us anything, it is the importance of history and nationhood. Not to have history as a core subject from the junior cycle would be a great disservice to the study of the subject and to our young people, who stand to gain a great amount of knowledge from the subject. From the ancient world towards pre-Christian Ireland, from the medieval world to the reformation, from the plantation of Ireland towards the Second World War, history at junior cycle level provides students with a basis for understanding how the world has come to function as it currently does.

History is one of the most important subjects for creating well-rounded and educated individuals. The study of history and all involved helps equip students with a wide variety of skills which are applicable to other subjects and life itself, such as analytical skills, comprehension, understanding and many more. History is far more than the study of times gone by; it is an analysis of the blueprint of how our world has evolved and come to this point. The subject is a great advantage to young students and it provides immense skills that later come into play in a person's life. It ensures that students acquire knowledge of and understanding about human activity in the past. It ensures they understand the contemporary world through the study of the past. History helps students to develop conceptual understanding and the ability to think independently. It also helps students to develop a commitment to objectivity and fairness, and an acceptance that people and events must be judged in the context of their values and time.

At a time when the education system is being criticised for rote learning and a lack of critical thinking, I believe it would be a mistake not to have history as a core subject on the junior cycle curriculum. I do not see another subject which encourages the level of critical thinking that history does. History must be taught and learned as a full subject and not relegated to a short course or a learning experience. If we do not have history as a core junior cycle subject, I am sure it will be the thin end of the wedge, and, before long, there will be moves to remove even more humanities subjects from all areas of the education system. What will be lost with the devaluation of the humanities is unquantifiable.

Undoubtedly, what employers say they really need is the kind of education that teaches students how to think, innovate, communicate, work in teams and solve problems. This is what the study of history and the other humanities subjects do. The liberal education has always sought to provide students with more than mere professional qualifications. We need to move away from dividing the education system into the binaries of either teaching people general knowledge or training them for specific jobs. There can be a symbiotic relationship between the two, and there should be, throughout the education system.

Nonetheless, I would make the following points. For some time now, there has been a continued and sustained assault against the humanities and the arts. This has happened throughout the education system, from primary through to third level. It is a new wave of philistinism across the whole of society, and a fixation on the marketisation of education and the education system. I believe not making history a core junior cycle subject is further evidence of this.

To conclude, in June of 2012 the Taoiseach stated: "As we move into the decade of commemorations that stretch before us, from the 100th anniversary of the Third Home Rule Bill, the Ulster League and Covenant, the foundation of the Ulster and Irish Volunteers, the Dublin Lockout, 1916, the Somme, and beyond, it is imperative that the social, cultural, economic, administrative and political environments that shaped these events be understood." It would be a shameful state of affairs if, during the decade of commemorations and on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising, the study of history was not the universal entitlement of all of our young people. Sinn Féin supports the Private Members' motion that is before the House.

I would also like to make the point that ceann de na príomhrudaí atá tábhachtach ná na hachmhainní tacaíochta múinteoireachta atá ar fáil, go háirithe trí mheán na Gaeilge. Ós rud é gurb an tAire Stáit é féin atá anseo, tuigim gurb é seo ceann de na clocha atá ar a pháidrín féin. Molaim an obair an-mhaith ar fad atá déanta ag an gComhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscoilaíochta ó thaobh áiseanna as Gaeilge a chur ar fáil ach tá gá le tuilleadh, go háirithe i réimse na staire. Tá sé oiriúnach sna scoileanna beaga agus Gaeltachta ach go háirithe. Maidir leis an scoil ar a ndeachaigh mé féin i gCarna, ní hé nach raibh an scoil ag iarraidh go mbeadh an stair ar an gcuraclam ach ní riabh dóthain múinteoirí sa scoil go bhféadfaí é a chur ar fáil. Ba mhór an laigeacht é sin ar an scoil. Tá dúshlán faoi láthair ann ó thaobh scoileanna Gaeltachta agus scoileanna beaga tuaithe. Cé go mbeidís ag iarraidh é a chur ar an gcuraclam, ní bheidh dóthain múinteoirí in san scoil de bharr na huimhireacha beaga atá sa scoil, b'fhédir, é sin a chur ar fáil. Is ceist í sin. Ní leor é a bheith sa churaclam. Is leor na hacmhainní agus na múinteoirí a bheith ar fáil chuige sin chomh maith mar aon le múinteoirí atá oilte i nGaeilge. Tuigeann an tAire Stáit cad tá i gceist agam agus an plé atá ar siúl leis an bpolasaí oideachais Gaeltachta. Molaim an rún atá curtha ós comhair an Tí agus tacaím go hiomlán leis.

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